Step 6
- Finalize Your Project

Your project is well on its way by this point. There are just a few final steps to take to close out the permit process.

Once your project is complete, don’t forget to schedule final inspections, request a Certificate of Occupancy and save your documents.

Final Inspections

Building and Trade Permits

When your project is complete, you’ll need to schedule final inspections to confirm all work has been done safely and to code. This will help ensure that years from now, you won’t encounter structural issues – a deck that collapses during a family gathering, for example – that would put the safety of you and your loved ones at risk.

You will schedule final inspections through Missoula County Public Works by calling 406-258-3701 24 hours in advance of when you would like the inspection. If calling before 7 a.m. to after 4 p.m., you may leave a message that includes the following information:

Address where inspection is needed

permit number(s)

type of inspection

afternoon or morning inspection requested

contact name and number

any pertinent information the inspector will need to know to perform the inspection.

Certificate of Occupancy

Once your project has passed the final inspection, you can request a Certificate of Occupancy, if relevant to your project. Most lenders will not finalize financing a new home until they have a copy of this.

Notice of Violation

If you fail to complete final building and trade inspections, you may be subject to a Notice of Violation, which will be recorded on the deed of the property if not resolved. All property owners receive a letter notifying them that they need to finalize their permits before the Notice of Violation is issued. There is no additional cost to finalize building permits.

A failure to obtain any required building and trade permits will result in a Notice of Violation, which will be recorded on the deed of the property if the property is not brought into compliance in a timely manner. Failure to obtain other permits, such as well and septic, may result in additional fees when bringing the project into compliance.

Save Your Documents

Once your project is complete, be sure to save related documents, including your approved, stamped plans, Certificate of Occupancy and your inspection red card, with other important property documents, like your deed. . Later, you may need to provide proof of the work that took place if you decide to sell your home or if it needs repairs following significant damage.

Down the road, if you decide to further enhance this project or embark on a new one, these documents will come in handy when you start the process again.

The Missoula County Building Projects and Permit Guide will assist applicants through the permitting
process. While it provides a breadth of information, applicants may still
have questions specific to their project that only staff at the appropriate
permitting department can answer.

Electricians can refer to the State Electrical Board for information on obtaining licenses for the different types of work they may perform.

A certified septic installer must install all septic systems. The Health Department maintains a a list of certified installers in Missoula County. More information on septic installer certification is online.

State law requires water well contractors and drillers to be licensed by the Board of Water Well Contractors. The Department of Natural Resources and Conservation provides resources for well contractors/drillers online.

Fees

Permit fees help defray costs for time staff spend engaged in the permit process. To minimize the chance of unexpected costs later in the process, it's best to carefully review permit fee information before applying.

Several factors go into fee determination, including type of permit and the complexity of the work being done.

Re-inspection fees

The Building Division may charge a $45 re-inspection fee for the following reasons:

The inspection record card and approved plans are not available when the inspector is on-site to perform the requested inspection.

The inspection record card has been lost and needs to be replaced. Inspections will not continue until the card has been replaced and posted at the job site with the approved plans.

Failure to provide safe, approved access on the date for which the inspection was requested.

When the work for the requested inspection is clearly not done, or when the inspection reveals that a previously identified deficiency has not been corrected.

Deviation from the approved plans to the point that the plans have to be redrawn and re-approved.

When a re-inspection fee is assessed, no further inspections will be performed until the $45 fee has been paid.

Garage/shed/barn

Permits you'll likely need:

Building

Zoning compliance/land use

Septic

Depending on your project and property, you may also need:

Floodplain

Shoreline

Mechanical

Electrical

Plumbing

Septic

Department to start with: Health Department

Swimming pool

Building

Zoning compliance/land use

Septic

Depending on your project and property, you may also need:

Septic

Floodplain

Shoreline

Department to start with: Health Department

Mechanical, electrical and plumbing work

Permits you'll likely need:

Mechanical

Electrical

Plumbing

Depending on your project and property, you may also need:

Zoning compliance/land use

Floodplain

Shoreline

Septic

Department to start with: Public Works - Building Division

Carport

Permits you'll likely need:

Building

Zoning compliance/land use

Depending on your project and property, you may also need:

Septic evaluation

Floodplain

Department to start with: Health Department

Finishing a basement

Permits you'll likely need:

Building

Zoning compliance/land use

Electrical

Depending on your project and property, you may also need:

Mechanical

Plumbing

Septic evaluation

Floodplain

Department to start with: Health Department

Signs

Permits you'll likely need:

Building

You'll also need to submit a specific sign application to acquire your zoning compliance/land use permit.

Building

Building permits are required to construct, enlarge, repair, move, demolish or change the occupancy of a building or a structure. Building permits are also required to erect, install, enlarge, alter, repair, remove, convert or replace any electrical, gas, mechanical or plumbing system.

Permitting Department: Public Works - Building Division

Address/Approach

When new construction does not have a property address, address and approach permits are required. They are also required when a driveway or other access point will be built along a public right-of-way.

Permitting Department: Public Works - Building Division

Zoning Compliance and Land Use

In zoned areas, projects must have a zoning compliance permit. In unzoned areas, projects must have a land use permit. Reviews for these permits review focus on the site plan and building elements. Reviewers look at zoning regulations, subdivision conditions, restrictions on a plat or certificate of survey, floodplain and shoreline regulations, fire, grading and drainage or any other applicable regulations that may pertain to the proposal.

Review and issuance of zoning compliance and land use permits promotes public health, safety and welfare of those within and outside of a project location. The spatial review is designed to identify known hazards and review for appropriate mitigation of risk.

Note: A zoning compliance permit or land use permit is required for all new trailers and replacement trailers even if they are located on the same footprint and do not have a permanent foundation.

Permitting Department: Community and Planning Services

Mechanical

Residents must have mechanical permits for work on heating, cooling and ventilation systems. Mechanical work also includes installing a natural gas line, vent, fuel oil tank or chimney liner for appliances or other equipment, as well as wood stoves.

Air quality permits also are required for woodstoves; they are included when a mechanical permit is issued.

Permitting Department: Public Works - Building Division

Electrical

Residents must have electrical permits for work on the electrical system of a structure, including new services and new meters. Before installing a new meter, property owners should call their local utility to make sure the location is acceptable.

Permitting Department: Public Works - Building Division

Plumbing

Plumbing permits are required for work on the plumbing system of a structure. If you are a homeowner, state law exempts you from needing a permit if you are doing the plumbing on your own home.

Permitting Department: Public Works - Building Division

Well

Residents must have well permits to drill a new drinking water well, a commercial or industrial water supply well, irrigation well, extraction or geo-thermal heating/cooling exchange well, or a test well.

Water well regulations ensure that wells are drilled in the correct location. This protects the property owner by ensuring you aren’t wasting money by drilling a well that doesn’t meet current requirements. It also protects your neighbors by ensuring their ability to develop their property is not negatively impacted by nearby well placements. Water well regulations make sure wells are drilled in the best possible location for public health protection. Meeting the minimum setback distances from surface water, septic systems and other sources of contamination will minimize the risk of contaminated drinking water.

Permitting Department: Health Department

Septic

Residents must have septic permits to install, repair or replace a septic system. Septic permits also allow residents to move, alter or modify an existing septic system, or connect a structure to an existing septic system. To protect property owners, your septic permit must be fully issued by the Health Department before a building permit for the associated project will be issued. This ensures you don’t start building something that will not be able to meet state and local wastewater rules.

The Health Department must review requests to alter structures currently connected to a septic system so staff can make sure the system will be able to accommodate any increased use. That review will determine if the project needs a permit. Examples of structure alteration include adding bedrooms, expanding the square footage of the house and remodel projects, among other things.

The process for acquiring a septic permit is heavily based on how a parcel was created and the septic permit history. Because of this, providing one-size-fits-all answers to some questions is difficult. When reviewing permit applications, the first thing the sanitarian has to do is determine when the parcel was created and if there are any associated approvals or restrictions for that property. Some parcels have already been issued a Certificate of Sanitation Approval. This provides sanitarians with information on pre-approved locations and sizing for a system. Other parcels do not already have this certification. These parcels may require a site evaluation, or a review under current state sanitation rules. This will lengthen the time to issue a permit. Read more on septic system evaluations in the Resources section.

Permitting Department: Health Department

Floodplain

Floodplain permits ensure that all applicable flood code standards have been met. These are required before development activity on property within the designated flood plain. A floodplain permit is required for, but not limited to:

construction, reconstruction, repair, placement of a building, or any structural alteration to a building

substantial improvement of an existing building

installation of a manufactured home on a site

preparing a site for a manufactured home, or installing a travel trailer on a site for more than 180 days per year

installation of utilities, construction of roads, bridges, culverts or similar projects

construction or maintenance of levees or riprap

drilling, mining, filling, dredging, grading, excavating, paving or other alterations of the ground surface storage of materials including the placement of gas and liquid storage tanks

channel modifications or any other activity that might change the direction, height or velocity of flood or surface waters

Permitting Department: Community and Planning Services

Shoreline

Shoreline permits ensure construction and other human activity do not interfere with the conservation, protection and restoration of natural lakes, ponds, wildlife, fisheries, riparian habitat, wetlands and shorelines. Shoreline permits are required for the construction of (but not necessarily limited to):

Docks

Swimming rafts

Marinas

Boat ramps

Boat rail systems

Retaining walls

Rip rap

Dredging

Filling

Utility lines

Water pumps

Buoys

Fences

Access trails

Stairways

Boat lifts/shoreline stations

Permitting Department: Community and Planning Services

Excavation

Excavation permits are required for excavation within a public right-of-way. Excavation cannot extend more than half the width of the public right-of-way at any time. Construction activities cannot block the existing traveled way unless specific written approval has been granted. Public utility contractors will be allowed up to 20 open excavation permits. General utility contractors will be allowed up to five open excavation permits. Permit holders must notify all utilities of the excavation and will be responsible for the location of all utility lines and their repair if damaged. Excavation contractors must submit proof of bonding and insurance before the permit will be approved. Refer to the Public Works manual for requirements. Excavation permits must be applied for online.

Permitting Department: Public Works - Building Division

Holidays

New Year's Day

Martin Luther King Jr. Day

Presidents’ Day

Memorial Day

Independence Day

Labor Day

Indigenous Peoples Day

Election Day (even-numbered years)

Veterans Day

Thanksgiving Day

Christmas Day

Building Fees

Building permit costs are calculated based on the value of the construction. This is determined by factors like the type of structure and the materials being used. Once the value of construction is determined, the Building Division uses a building fee schedule, which is available online, to figure out permit costs.

For example, the cost of a permit for a two-car garage would be determined by multiplying the standard garage assessment ($20.41 per square foot) by the total square footage (24x24 = 576 square feet), equaling a construction value of $11,756. This would correspond to the $11,001-$12,000 range on the building fee schedule, resulting in a $209.99 permit. These fees cover the cost of Building Division staff and inspection time. To keep them at a reasonable cost, the division has not raised fees since 2011.

Penalty fees

If work is started before a permit is issued, the following penalty fees apply:

If the total permit fee is less than $100, the penalty fee will equal the amount of the permit fee, plus an administrative fee of $30.

Example: If the total permit cost is $80, then the penalty fee for starting work without a permit will be $110.

If the total permit fee is $100 or more, the penalty fee will be $100 plus the following percentages of the permit fee:

If the permit is issued before or at the time of the foundation inspection, an additional 30% will be added to the penalty fee

If the permit is issued before or at the time of the framing inspection, an additional 60% will be added to the penalty fee

If the permit is issued before or at the time of the drywall inspection, an additional75% will be added to the penalty fee

If the permit is issued before or at the time of the final inspection, the penalty fee will double (100% added to the penalty fee).

Example: If the total permit fee is $300, and a permit was not issued until the drywall inspection, the total penalty fee would be $525.

Address/Approach Fees

If the approach abuts a private road, there is no fee; if the approach abuts a public county-maintained road, there is a $52 fee.

Land Use/Zoning Permit

Fire Supression

If your property is in a platted subdivision, you may be required to install a water source for fire suppression. Please check with Community and Planning Services about requirements for your specific property before submitting your permit application. If a system is required, your application will need to include additional information demonstrating compliance with your subdivision’s fire suppression regulations.

Mobile Homes Permit

A land use or zoning compliance permit is required for all mobile/manufactured homes, even if it is replacing an existing home in the same footprint.

New Residential or Commercial Construction

Permits you'll likely need:

Building

Address/approach

Zoning compliance/land use

Mechanical

Electrical

Plumbing

Well

Septic

Depending on your project and property, you may also need:

Floodplain

Shoreline

Excavation

Department to start with: Health Department

Remodel/renovation

Permits you'll likely need:

Building

Mechanical

Electrical

Plumbing

Septic (evaluation)

Plumbing

Well

Septic

Depending on your project and property, you may also need:

Zoning compliance/land use

Floodplain

Shoreline

Plumbing

Department to start with: Health Department

Deck

Permits you'll likely need:

Building

Septic (evaluation)

Depending on your project and property, you may also need:

Floodplain

Shoreline

Zoning compliance/land use

Department to start with: Health Department

Replacing a roof

Permits you'll likely need:

Building

Septic (evaluation)

Department to start with: Public Works - Building Division

Fence (8 feet or higher)

Permits you'll likely need:

Building

Depending on your project and property, you may also need:

Zoning compliance/land usee

Floodplain

Shoreline

Septic

Department to start with: Health Department

Water Heater

Permits you'll likely need:

Plumbing

Department to start with: Public Works - Building Division

Septic system installation or modification

Permits you'll likely need:

Septic

Depending on your project and property, you may also need:

Floodplain

Shoreline

Plumbing

Department to start with: Health Department

Drilling a well

Permits you'll likely need:

Well

Depending on your project and property, you may also need:

Floodplain

Shoreline

Plumbing

Septic

Department to start with: Health Department

Public Works

Located at 6089 Training Drive in Missoula and 3360 Highway 83 N. in Seeley Lake.

The Building Division reviews construction plans to ensure they comply with current building codes adopted by the State of Montana.

The Building Division also starts most Missoula County permits, including:

building permits

electrical permits

mechanical permits

plumbing permits

land use/zoning compliance permits

address/approach permits

excavation permits.

Community and Planning

Located at 127 E. Main St., Suite 2, in Missoula.

Community and Planning Services reviews:

zoning compliance permits for land issues

subdivision compliance

floodplain/shoreline

sign permits

fire safety

Health Department

Located at 301 W Alder Street (2nd floor) in Missoula.

The Missoula City-County Health Department is responsible for protecting the natural environment and indoor public places. This includes reviewing subdivision/development proposals. It also includes permitting and inspecting:

septic systems and wells

food/beverage service

swimming pools/spas

public accommodations

solid fuel heating units (wood stove installation)

commercial chemical/paint storage

underground storage tanks

Information Desk Hours: If you have a question specific to a subdivision proposal, a septic system, or a well, please call the Land Sanitarian Information Desk at 406-258-4990. Desk hours are Monday – Friday, 8-5 with two exceptions: the noon hour, and a Thursday mornings from 8-10 a.m.